1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sheets, blankets and other forms of bed coverings which are used with patients. More particularly, the present invention pertains to such bed coverings used with patients requiring assistance in rolling over or turning.
2. Prior Art
Many illnesses tend to immobilize the patient, or at least make movement very difficult and/or painful. For example, patients who have back surgery are generally unable to move or rotate their body for several days, pending initial healing of the sutures. Any attempt by the patient to exert his own muscles to turn his body to a new position would not only be very painful, but could also tear sutures and cause severe damage. Nevertheless, laying in a single position for extended hours results in initial stages of necrosis of tissue due to poor blood supply. Accordingly, the patient feels compelled to rotate to a fresh position to relieve the discomfort.
Prior art techniques for assisting such a patient to turn have usually involved a medical attendant helping to lift the patient and thereby minimize the patient's muscular involvement. Even in the best of circumstances, such manipulations cause pain and often aggravate sensitive tissue. These consequences are further magnified where an attending family member without experience attempts to aid the patient.
In some instances, suspended bars or straps are provided above the patient to allow use of the arms to assist in patient rotation or turning. Hereagain, however, some muscular exertion occurs with its attendant pain and tissue damage. The only means currently provided to a patient to change positions in the bed arises with mechanical adjustments of inclination of the bed, thereby affecting upper and lower body inclination. Unfortunately, side-to-side movement is not facilitated by such repositioning, thereby severely limiting the ability of the patient to be comfortable.
Other prior art methods and devices have been developed for providing lateral displacement to a patient to thereby move the patient along the bed surface; however, this prior art has not offered any suggestion or technique for rotating the patient without muscular effort on the part of the patient. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,914 by Treat discloses an elongated, flexible laminated sheet which is approximately the same size in width as the patient. A frictional top surface and a slippery bottom surface are provided to enable an attendant to pull the sheet across the bed without patient movement. This device presumes that the patient will not rotate, because to do so would result in the patient being located off of the sheet, eliminating any further value of the sheet for this patient. The primary purpose of the device is to shift a patient who has slid down the bed to an original position, and not to rotate a patient from side to side.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,565 by Berge teaches the use of a tubular member which has an outer surface which develops frictional contact with a patient, and an inner tubular surface which has a low coefficient of friction. This device is also designed to provide lateral displacement of the patient, but without an intention of rotating the patient's body. Rather, the purpose of this tubular member is to allow a patient to remain in a single, flat position while moving sideways by having the tubular member roll along the bed surface. Accordingly, the frictionless surface traverses against itself with the outer frictional surface operating as a conveyor belt as shown in FIG. 4. There appears to be no provision or suggestion for turning the patient within his bed and without requiring lateral movement.
Other patent disclose the use of multiple layers of fabrics and materials to provide protection or mobility to the patient. U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,113 by Smith teaches the use of first, second and third fabrics (two of which are "frictionless") to isolate injured areas of the body such as elbows and knees from adverse frictional contact with bedding. These fabrics are formed in tubular configuration to enclose the arm or leg of the patient. The patent discloses the attachment of these tubular members to a sheet member which facilitates lateral movement of the patient without turning or rolling over.
A second patent by Smith using multiple layers of fabrics is U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,053. This patent teaches the use of first, second, third and fourth fabrics in stacked configuration as part of a narrow positioning pad which is disposed under the hips of the patient. The first fabric is generally draped across a table or bed and extends from side to side. The other fabrics are either coextensive with or longer than the first fabric. The four fabrics comprise two devices or pads which move with respect to each other and provide a sliding medium to allow the patient to roll or turn under their own power. The pair of devices are designed to allow the patient to turn in their "normal fashion".
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,813 by Nielson shows a single sheet configuration designed to facilitate a patient turning himself on a top, substantially frictionless material. The bottom side is of conventional bedding material which has a higher frictional surface. The sheet is positioned on the bed with the bottom side down for maintaining the sheet in a non-sliding mode. The top, low friction surface directly supports the patient, allowing the patient to slide at will to turn or roll over.
Accordingly, the prior art has consistently been directed toward devices and methods which enable a patient to turn himself This has generally utilized multiple-layered pads or hardware associated with the bed frame. The present inventor has consciously avoided involvement of the patient for the sake of minimizing injury to sutures and associated pain. Indeed, what is needed is a method and device for enabling the turning of a patient while he is in a totally relaxed state. Rather than being a participant by tensing his muscles to turn himself, the patient should be turned while he is limp and passive.